Hiking Volcano Pacaya

So much is happening that keeping up with stories on here is tough to do. Will have to reevaluate how and what we tell. While I know some would prefer pictures, they are proving difficult to load with the internet here. Could spend 15 minutes trying to load them up only to see them crash. Safe to say though that Antigua is certainly growing on us as this small town is both vibrant and friendly. Tons and tons of great cuisine which is slightly a bummer because our host family cooks for us everyday except Sunday. It's nice to have meals made but the kids don't like everything and portions are smaller than they are used to - welcome to the 3rd world!

A few days ago we had a free afternoon so we opted to hike a local volcano. This involved an hour and half drive and then about a two hour hike to the top and then coming back down in about half the time. Some parts were quite steep but for the most part it was doable. Below is Fuego which is further away and not the one we hiked but very cool to see even from a distance. This picture was taken from the car. 

SJ was unhappy with her seating arrangement and proceeded to scream the entire drive up - that was fun. We drew a line in the sand and made her suck it up, not giving into her demands which was hard but even just in the last two days has proved worth the effort.

In the background is volcano Fuego which is extremely active and has small eruptions more than once an hour. What looks like a cloud is smoke from Fuego.

This is a lava river. What looks like black soil is actually a deep river of lava rock from the eruption that occurred March 2014. Incredible to see! The pictures don't do it justice.

The boys hiked out a ways in the dried lava river.. because, well they are boys. 

Same pic no zoom

Boys standing in lava river

Here we are roasting marshmallow in the rocks. They cook up pretty fast.

This was a very deep pit that the lava filled up. It's over 300 feet deep!!

This guy has the best store location in the world perhaps! On top of volcano with nothing in site. He sells chips, candy, beer and fruit. He hauls about 100 lbs of supplies every day from his local village, which is the same village our guide was from.

All in all, this was an amazing experience and worth the time and cost. Our booking was done through AntiguaTours.net

Finding our Stride

Yesterday was still a bit of an adjustment as we took in our new surroundings and all that make up Antigua. We pretty much walked the whole city (at least the main part of it) and while lunch was a success it took us way too long to find the supermarket where SIM cards could be purchased. Ironically it turned out that it is quite close to our current home. After struggling to grasp Spanish and not enough clarity on what we were buying, we walked out with two SIM cards and local number for Q100 (about $13). Mission accomplished!

Then we checked out places to take Spanish lessons as there are over 20 in Antigua. We chatted with a few and then ultimately picked one which we felt was a good fit - we start Saturday. After that we went back for dinner and pretty much crashed - though not all got a good sleep as SJ was up for most of the night and mom bore the brunt of the effect.

This morning we reported to the project and helped hand out food to some of the moms of students. Only the poorest of the poor attend this school and the entire operation is funded by donation and sponsors. It really is an impressive operation and somewhat famous in Antigua we have learned as we have yet to find someone who is not familiar with the organization. This was hard work but very enjoyable as the women receiving the food were so appreciative and friendly. We loaded up very sketchy bags which the women brought for about 90 minutes and were all a bit sweaty when done. One of the employees said at times he does it alone so he was most appreciative too. We didn't get any really great photos of the whole thing because we were all busy but here are a few. After this we hung around for a little while meeting a few others but then decided to go do something  as our time next week is pretty much booked between volunteering and Spanish lessons. What we did though (hike a volcano) will have to be another post as the internet speed makes this a bit of a chore, it was too amazing to highlight quickly, and it's late.

C&C's station

Pile of beans and peas. This was only about half of what started and we ultimately gave it all out

Safe in Guatemala

We arrived in Guatemala safely and our bags showed up, no problems (ended up having to check big packs at flight gate in U.S.). The custom agents love to give us the double look but passed us through quickly.

Our host family speaks little English but is very friendly and we communicate well enough. It's a perfect place to begin our journey as it will stretch us just the right amount. By no means what we are used to but safe and reasonably clean. We have two rooms with 5 beds total but that is about it. One child asked me "is this place the worst we will stay in?" They were not thrilled but after two planes and an hour car ride everyone was pretty beat, not to mention no dinner.  Here is one room.

This morning we went to the project where we will be working and discussed their work, got a tour and met some of the workers. Pretty amazing organization. 

Now we are just wandering the city on foot trying to get our boundaries, find SIM cards and schedule Spanish lessons. Amazing to have no schedule or time table. Here is our lunch stop... Pizza and quesadillas! All were hungry. First wifi we have had. 

Airport Snag #1

Made it to airport and through security but at gate they wouldn't let the adult packs on plane. All that carrying for nothing! Checked to Guatemala-hoped they make it. 

Time to Go

We leave in just a few hours. Are we ready is a good question we've been asked a lot in the last few days. Answer is as ready as we can be. We have packed about ten times, moving things around and gauging how to divvy up family stuff and make it all fit. We have cleaned up computers, packed our house, backed up documents, given stuff away, and thrown away an immense amount of garbage. We have practiced doing our electronic math (though not enough) and bought lots of kindle books.  

The concept for this adventure stemmed from us sensing God calling us out of our comfort zone in order to enhance our family. The last few days we have dealt with a few issues where we certainly felt His protection. We were one choice away from making a poor decision, and at the time walking away was difficult, but like many things in life, putting the situation in the rear view mirror shed light on why and we praise God for that. We have been prayed over by friends, family, our church and also our new renters. We are so grateful for our community and family here.  It's been a blessed week.

Not sure there is a way to be 100% ready for an adventure like this, but we are ready to start. At some point you have to just plunge in and see what is next. For that we are ready. Not sure how much we will blog or get internet but it's our goal to post memories, thoughts and experiences mostly for us but also for friends and family who would like to follow along on our lifestyle experiment and see how God's presence all around the world shapes us. This is a journey and if nothing else it will be interesting to see where it takes us. We intend to enjoy the ride but are not fooled thinking that it will be easy... Here we go!

A Month of Trials and Finals

July has been a whirlwind and not remotely the month we hoped for, but virtually everyone who has walked this path before us has said that the final month is the craziest. There are too many details, too many good byes, and too many to-dos. We have hosted and then hosted more as we have said final good byes to family and friends, hosted our annual 4th of July gathering, and celebrated birthdays. The boys closed out their soccer seasons with intensity and lots of emotion. This month alone is a good barometer of why we need to do this. We are ready!

We have been run through the ringer trying to monetize our house and find the right tenant that balances the multi-faceted goals we desire. We would obviously love to be paid a market rate for the asset but we also need the right type of people who will care for and use it for the purpose which we built it. That combination proved difficult to find. We have certainly met a string of interesting characters to say the least. Several were more interested in buying the home than renting, we have been offered a RV title as collateral, and had two deals fall apart in the last week. We pulled the plug on Thursday deciding that the later of the two goals was more important. We could have gotten real money but would not have had peace about it and we were not on the same page - which in our marriage means we punt. This family is a great couple who are the parents of some friends of ours and we have many common friends (though we have yet to actually meet our new renters- yeah crazy right?). We initially spoke months ago about the possibility, and like many decisions in life we had to walk the right path to get to God's destination. It's a peace-of-mind move and makes our last few days here much easier. We are blessed and excited for the home to bless their family. They will care for it like it's theirs, as well as assist us with anything we might need along the way. Can't fully articulate how it feels to have that heavy burden off our shoulders. It was a difficult journey but one we (I really) had to try.

Last night a friend threw us a going away party in style and it was a great evening with many dear friends. Can't thank him enough. The reality of seeing friends and family for the last time in a year is setting in - it is bittersweet and humbling, making us appreciate the importance of relationships while acknowledging the gift and reality of the opportunity we have ahead of us, not only for how it will impact the 6 of us, but for the impact it will have on our community of support.

Today is our 17th Anniversary and its been an amazing ride so far with the best still ahead of us. 

Day 1

Seems we can do nothing normal. My wife is a wise woman and knowing me well planned an adventure for the day as opposed to allowing me to deal with our massive list of tasks, which she knows I would default to if at home. So we headed to the Canon River to kayak. This is something the boys and mom have done at the least the last 5 years but I have never gone. It's a beautiful river, quiet (except for our boys who are like a thundering herd wherever they roam) and super fun to just hang out and talk about plans. But, like most things, we tend to not do it normal....

Battle boats!